Scarborough, Maine – Hannaford Supermarkets today announced more than $400,000 in donations to strengthen the connection between local food producers and organizations that serve people at risk of going hungry. Maine organizations will receive $140,000 of the total.

The grants will provide farmers with refrigerated transport for donated crops; fund pilot programs to bring local produce to low-income children and senior citizens; help people who are struggling financially to grow food and become farmers; assist food banks in the acquisition of products that are grown nearby; and support numerous initiatives focused on producing nutritious, local food for low-income individuals.

“Locally grown food can be an even greater resource for eliminating hunger among our neighbors than it is today. Hannaford is committed to helping provide more local food to people who are struggling financially,” said Julie Libby, Vice President, Fresh Category Management, Merchandising and Pricing for Hannaford Supermarkets. “Farms produce fresh, nutritious food – exactly what hungry people need – and help keep the local economy strong.”

Earlier this year, Hannaford encouraged customers to purchase healthy food – items that received at least one star through the Guiding Stars nutrition navigation program. For every item purchased, Hannaford promised to make a financial donation toward hunger relief.

The initiative triggered $407,000 in donations by Hannaford across its five-state market area. Hannaford announced those donations this week at a farm in rural Hollis, N.H. and a community garden at Kennedy Park, a low-income housing community in downtown Portland, Maine.

Today’s announcement took place in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland at the Boyd Street Urban Farm, which is managed by Cultivating Community. The farm encompasses community-garden plots and teaching-gardens, where participants in Cultivating Community’s Youth Growers program grow food that they personally deliver to elders and others experiencing food insecurity.

Cultivating Community plans to use its $30,000 donation to further expand access to healthy food, to land for growing food, to leadership opportunities, and to opportunities to build community for people of all ages who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

“This is a fantastic boost to urban agriculture in Portland and to the ongoing work to ensure that healthy food is accessible to those who need it most,” says Craig Lapine, the Executive Director of Cultivating Community. “We are most grateful to Hannaford.”

This week’s Hannaford Helps donation builds on existing initiatives to fight hunger across the Northeast.

Last year, Hannaford donated 23 million pounds of meat, seafood, produce and packaged food to local pantries and food banks. The company also supported nutrition education programs for low-income individuals, helped establish in-school food pantries and generated $1.3 million in donations through our fall Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger campaign.

“We are so grateful to Hannaford for their continued support for our organization and the Mainers Feeding Mainers program,” said Nancy Perry, program manager for Mainers Feeding Mainers, Good Shepherd Food Bank’s local foods program. “This funding will allow us to purchase nutritious food from our local farm partners and test out innovative new methods for distributing the food to the most rural and under-served area of our state.”

Groups receiving donations include:

Good Shepherd Food Bank — $100,00

Cultivating Community (Portland, Maine) — $30,000

Full Plates Full Potential (Portland, Maine) — $10,000

New Hampshire Food Bank — $40,000

NH Young Farmers — $40,000

Vermont Foodbank — $40,000

Regional Foodbank of Northeastern NY — $80,000

Capital Roots (Albany, NY) — $10,000

Food Bank of Central NY — $20,000

Greater Boston (Massachusetts) Food Bank — $25,000

Worcester County (Massachusetts) Food Bank — $10,000

Local initiatives — $2,000

###

About Hannaford Supermarkets

Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 181 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at www.hannaford.com.